1927 Cushion Plain

Hamilton's original wrist watch line followed the Henry Ford philosophy... you could have any model you wanted, as long as it was a Cushion.  That lasted for a few years until the line up expanded to add the Square.  It wasn't really just those two choices though.  You could get them in several different versions of solid gold or gold filled.

In 1927 the model line really expanded, and the Barrel was introduced.  All the names were very simple - they referred to the shape of the case.  In addition, you had the option of "plain" or "engraved", which referred to whether or not the bezel was engraved.  So you had six models plus a variety of case materials to choose from.

Even more models came out in 1928 and the list continued to grow, year after year.

1927 also saw the introduced of the "new" 6/0 sized movement that would power most of the models.  The 17 jewel 987.  Shortly thereafter the 979 movement came out, with 19 jewels, and it would be used for the solid gold models (primarily).

The 987 is a very interesting caliber.  It evolved quickly into the 987F, where the jewel settings were friction fit instead of held in place with screws.  In 1935 the 987E was introduced, which was the 987F but with an Elinvar hairspring.  In 1937, the 987A came out and changed a lot of the structure of the caliber but the train wheels and many of the parts where shared with it's predecessors.

For all intents and purposes, Hamilton didn't view the movements as different.  A model that spanned those years could have any of the movements inside and if a early 1930s model came in to the factory for repair, it could leave the factory with a 987A behind the dial - good as new.

You can pretty much completely disassemble a 987, 987F and 987E, mix all the parts together, and reassemble three working movements - although only one of them would have the Elinvar balance.  However, all of the bridges are actually stamped with the movement serial number so you know what parts go with what movement.  It's interesting to come across mismatched bridges in a movement but it happens from time to time.

If you tried to add a 987A to the mix, you'd have a hard time getting it back together if you didn't keep the 987A bridges, etc together, and the shape of the hairspring stud wouldn't fit the earlier 987 balance cock.

So not everything is interchangeable but the complete assemblies are.

The Cushion Plain (or Engraved) changed a little over the years too but it's always the same name.  Earlier models had engraving on the center portion of the case, regardless of it's a plain or engraved model.

Later models the  case center was plain on the plain version.  I think it's interesting that the price difference between the gold filled and solid gold models wasn't dramatically different.  However, $25 in 1928 was a little less than $500 in today's currency.

Working on watches from this era can be very challenging.  I think they are the most temperamental movements that Hamilton made.  They're not bad designs - they were the best the 1920s had to offer.  They are simply really old, really worn, and usually poorly maintained after close to 100 years.  They do not suffer fools graciously - one false move and their delicate parts can break.  Don't drop them, bang them, or otherwise mis-use them like putting them in your golf bag next to a magnetic ball marker.

I like to recall how many old black and white movies have a scene where someone says, "Excuse me, do you have the time?  My watch has stopped."  It happened all the time and there was a watchmaker in just about every jewelry store that stayed very busy.

My project was described as "running fine until it wasn't".  That's not unusual.  It happens all the time.

Looking at it, I can see a few things to note.  First, the dial and hands are a replacement.  They look fine but they're not original.  The crown is a poor choice and doesn't really fit around the stem tube.  It's a later Cushion Plane based on the lack of engraving.  Lastly, it's a green gold (filled) case - which is an interesting color.  It looks like yellow, or natural, gold until you put it next to a yellow gold case - then the difference is more obvious.  You might be able to see the difference in the crown vs the case.

The case back is nicely engraved with a monogram and what looks to be 1932.  Perhaps this watch sat in the store for a while but it was still offered in 1931.

The case is a three piece design with a bezel and a back, each snap onto the case center, which retains the movement and the strap.

Opening up the case reveals a 987F with a very wobbly balance.  I can tell from the balance design that it's not original.  That's not a issue but the fact that it wobbles means the pivots on the balance staff are gone.

There's a white alloy mainspring inside the barrel - so that's good.  It doesn't need to be replaced.

Everything gets cleaned and a replacement balance is readied for installation.  Balance staffs can be replaced but it's a challenging procedure that takes a lot of time.  If I have a working balance, that's usually my first choice.  I know I'm not alone in the perspective - its not unusual to see movements for sale on ebay that are missing the balance.

Everything is reassembled and the balance is ticking away with a nice motion.

It's running a wee-bit fast but I can slow it down with a few tweaks.

Getting warmer.  It will slow a little from here.

The finished watch is outfitted with a proper crown and now looks perfect to my eyes.  This watch doesn't have to be the queen of the showcase but it does have to be treated like the 100 year old precision instrument that it is.   It's a fine watch for dress occasions but shouldn't be exposed to the wear and tear of regular daily use and abuse.